Internal branding and sustainability : investigating perceptions of employees

• The purpose of this study is to investigate perceptual differences between employees characterized by various levels of internal brand commitment and sustainability importance. The study was conducted among employees of industrial companies operating in Belarus. 238 responses were analyzed by using the K-means cluster analysis. The ANOVA was applied for evaluating differences between the three identified clusters. Based on internal brand commitment and sustainability importance, the study identifies three alternative clusters of employees: (1) uncommitted sustainability laggards, (2) committed sustainability followers, and (3) committed sustainability leaders. The results show that the three clusters differ in regard to the main determinants of internal brand commitment, which are brand orientation, internal brand knowledge, and internal brand involvement. The findings demonstrate significant perceptual differences between the three clusters regarding their evaluations of a company’s sustainability performance. The assessment of sustainability performance focuses on sustainability objectives, sustainability policies, and sustainability decision-making and disclosure. The study makes a theoretical contribution to research on internal branding and sustainability by examining the potential interrelationships between internal branding strategies and sustainability performance.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

Keyword

internal branding

internal marketing

sustainability

transition economy

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)